Misc News and Notes

Next meeting – more details forthcoming but the main topic will be whether the club supports the possibility of re-establishing our 440 repeater. We have a possibility of a site, not in an ideal location for most XARC members (the west side is NOT the best side ;-), and it looks like we might be able to do this rather economically. So we plan on discussing further at the next meeting and probably taking a vote as to whether we move forward. Please plan to attend if you are interested. That’s Feb 9 at 6 PM.

Also at next meeting – possibility of a couple club projects – 6 Meter halo antenna and/or all band 300 watt amplifier might be discussed.

I purchased a FTM-100DR to have as a full-time (or almost) Wires-X node to free up one of my FTM-400’s for a base radio. Now I need to put up a second antenna.

By the way, I paid under $300 for the FTM-100DR. I think I paid over $500 for a Kenwood TM-733 at the Rochester Hamfest in the early-mid 90’s. It was a nice radio and could receive two bands at once, but it didn’t have a GPS receiver, APRS, or digital.

Looks like Yaesu has a lower cost C4FM fusion handheld on the way. The FT-70DR was seen on the FCC website for testing. I’m guessing under $200 and somewhat de-featured from the FT1D. Maybe no GPS. Probably hear in a couple months.

Heard a couple new guys in the area on Fusion. A couple had FTM-3200’s they got for Christmas and a couple with FT-991. Don’t have their callsigns handy – but if you have Fusion, listen for these guys and please answer if you hear them call. One reason why I got another rig, so I can answer them easier.

Heard a talk about Fusion from a Yaesu guy who indicated Fusion C4FM was nearly identical to APCO P25 Phase 1, but the FCC asked them to make a small change (one bit) to make them incompatible.